On the Road with Jon Foreman

Jon Foreman cares deeply about community. It’s at the heart of his new, one of a kind film 25 in 24 and when he starts explaining it himself, you can’t miss the passion in his voice.

“I feel that meaning and purpose only come to life when we are in the context of community. For me, to sing a lyric – it comes to life. It comes to existence as it enters your ears and paints pictures, tells stories and it’s in that interaction that art begins to have a higher purpose than simply some form of monologue.”

For the longtime lead singer of the celebrated band Switchfoot, music in this context opens the doors to a conversation about the most important things in life.

“I can play my guitar by myself in a room, and certainly there’s a prayer aspect to that that’s beautiful, but when it begins to enter into a communal setting, something really beautiful takes place. And that’s what I love about music – and that’s kind of why I do what I do.”

“The idea that music breaks down barriers and breaks down walls, and is a vehicle to express a conversation on topics that are implausible to talk about any other way. God. Politics. Girls. All the things that I don’t understand right?! That becomes a bridge to be able to go places that I can’t go any other way, and community is one of the most beautiful byproducts of that.”

With the bands’ recently announced extended hiatus, Jon looks back on over two decades of music, faith and life.

“Oh man. My aspirations – I was eighteen when we first started – the dream was to graduate college and enjoy playing music. And one of those has happened! And it wasn’t graduating college.”

“We definitely take ourselves really lightly, and I’m thankful to look back on what has happened. But I absolutely can’t claim credit. I think all of the best moments – the best songs, the best decisions – have come through surrender rather than grasping or reaching. I’m an ambitious guy. I love to try and find and do and conquer, but I think the best songs have come to me rather than me chasing after them.”